Creativity.Media.Reputation

So check it. Last Sunday, I read an awesome story in The Birmingham News by Dawn Kent. The headline: Mad Men South. The story gave job-searching, Birmingham-area creatives reason to celebrate, especially social media and new/young professionals. While the Mad Men South story highlighted the expansion of the medium- to large-sized agencies, it didn’t mention anything about small agencies. It’s been my experience that the little guys can offer the best work experience for us new guys. Here’s why:

at agencies with a staff of 1-20-something, even the the recent grad plays an important part in flow of everyday business.

projects move more quickly at a smaller agency.

when you work directly with veterans of the industry, you get the added benefit of their experience.

everyone’s ideas are heard and that means your good ideas get to shine (probably the most beneficial).

The South as “Creative Oasis” isn’t too surprising. Georgia has SCAD, the quintessential art school; Portfolio Center for anyone interested in a specialized creative education; and Creative Circus with an awesome podcast and the most aggressive career services I’ve ever seen.

In Alabama, UAB’s PR program is one of the best in the nation. Head even further south and you have Auburn with incredible design programs of all kinds. Back in T-Town, UA has classes in fashion design and advertising.

Competition for these jobs will be fierce, I’m sure. And you won’t even get an interview unless you have a portfolio.

Anyway, it’s great to see the advertising and creative industries in Alabama get the recognition they deserve.

Great. There’s another “word” to add to your webulary (web + vocabulary = webulary, get it?). The word is “amafessional.” So WTF is an amafessional?

Amafessional (n): amateurs that compete with professionals “in opportunity, talent, and ability to produce quality work.” See this post from the WSJ and the daily (ad) biz for more information.

Technology has been an amazing equalizer for creatives and opinionated word-wranglers. However, I believe that when anyone can call themselves a professional (insert profession), no one really is. There will have to be equilibrium; standards will be introduced, acronymic-professional organizations will spring-up and degrees will be required.

While researching a project, I was lead to an article that described challenges of a workforce full of generation gaps. Reading about Gen Y was like reading a horoscope: insanely general in its description, but alarmingly correct. I’m every bit a product of my generation, and that’s totally O.K. Here are my tips on using the generation gaps to ace your next job interview:

1. Short-attention span: As I write this post, I’m flipping between browser tabs, watching a Harry Potter marathon and tweeting about it all. Gen Y have developed short-attention spans because of our media consuming habits (first is was news-in-under-a-minute now it’s updates of less than 140 characters). This is a plus, why?: Ours is a generation of multi-taskers. In your next interview talk up your uncanny ability to switch between tasks at a moment’s notice. Crises come-up, deadlines change, a reporter needs that fact sheet now. Let your interviewer know that you can handle unexpected shifts in projects with ease.

2. Tech-savvy: We’ve logged hundreds of hours on Facebook and are often called on to sync older Generations’ iPods. This is a plus, why?: Our generation learns new technology easily, while knowing the in’s and out’s of current tech. Plus, we know how to use the power of the internet to swiftly search for solutions to problems. Let your interviewer know about how you’ve used technology to develop your career and professionalism. Maybe you have a Linked-In profile or have started a blog.

3. We’re invincible and deserving: Refrigerators across America pay homage to A+ worthy algebra tests and tee ball trophies collect dust in unused bedrooms as shrines to Momma’s Boys and Daddy’s Girls. Our parents loved us and we ate it up. The unequivocal attention to our accomplishments (no matter how small) is a blessing and curse: Gen Y believe we’re as invincible as Superman, but our egos are as fragile as fancy china. We believe we can do anything, but if we aren’t recognized for our results then we crumble. This is a plus, why? Gen Y believe we can do anything so we’re unafraid to take some risks. At the same time we thrive on recognition (and we believe we deserve it more than anyone else). Let your interviewer know that you want to take on new projects and you are confident in your abilities. The pitfall to avoid in this situation is earlier-mentioned ego. Say something like, “I believe in offering recognition to my team members for achieving their goals and appreciate the same kind of feedback.”

Try to remember that each generation is different in your job interview. You should read the article linked to above to learn more about the older generations’ way of working.

Let the fans create the homepage. That’s what it looks like to me. Skittles, my favorite candy, has ditched the traditional website and gone with what looks like a rip-off of Modernista!’s approach to their website. Check out Modernista! before you check out Skittles. What do you think? I like the idea: it puts Skittles’ fans in charge of the content to a certain degree… But it’s definitely a risk. In Modernista!’s case, a headline about the agency’s recent round of lay offs appeared in their “n3wz” section courtesy of Google News.

Its definitely innovative, risky and it embraces the thought of fans creating content.

I’ve been away doing holiday stuff (I think I need a Holiday Spirit exorcism) and taking a break from school, life and heavy writing. Now I’m back and ready to begin again in 2009. I’ll be changing the theme of this blog soon, maybe adding more pictures. mPR is also going to see a little bit of change in content as I get ready to start writing again. The focus is going to be more on PRofessional development, on the job advice, internships and tricks of the trade. There will also be more video. Plus I’m looking forward to recruiting guest writers. My first guest writer is a fellow UAB student who is sharing tips on using e-newsletters cheaply and effectively. She spent the last semester working on the UAB PRSSA newsletter bringing it back from the dead. If you’re intersted in guest writing, let me know.

In other news, I’m starting a new project with a very close friend of mine (we’re keeping it hush, hush until everything goes live) and I’ll be doing another internship to sharpen my copywriting skillz.

What’s going on with you? Do you have a story you’d like to share as a guest writer?

Who is Zackery?

Zackery Moore is a writer, publicist, media-loving nut. Print or digital, traditional or new, if it can be read, watched, viewed or consumed Zackery's there. Don't ask him if he wants to be called Zack or Zackery - he doesn't care.
He does care about creativity and brilliant ideas. Hopefully, you'll like the posts about professional development, inspiring work, current trends and general PR news that appears here. Check out Zackery's work.